When a customer walks into Tippy’s Taco House, Lilibeth “Lily” Panlaqui often doesn’t even need to wait for them to order: She simply turns around and tells her husband, Rizal, who’s cooking in the kitchen, to get their regular order started. After nearly 30 years of working at the Centreville restaurant, Paniaqui not only knows her returning customers, she knows their grown-up children.
However, the couple will soon be in need of a new place of employment. After 40 years of serving budget meals in Centrewood Plaza, the local franchise will close its doors at 14119 St. Germain Drive permanently on June 14.
The rent has gone up, and at 72 years old, the owner doesn’t think it makes sense to move the business, deciding instead that it’s time to retire. And that means the Panlaquis need to find new jobs — quickly.
Stepping forward to help are the people they’ve come to know and care about over the years: their customers.
“They’re looking for a job for us,” Lilibeth, a Manassas resident, told FFXnow, as she took a quick break after a busy lunch hour last week. “They said, ‘Lily, if I find something, I’ll give you a call.’ Calling me, they give me comfort.”
Loyal customers have also launched a GoFundMe, which has raised about $700 over the course of a few days, to help with more practical needs while the Paniaquis are out of work.
“One of our customers…they were crying because they said it’s so hard. This is like their home, too, because every time we welcome them with a smile,” said Lilibeth.
The owner of Tippy’s Taco House in Centreville had considered selling the franchise a few years ago, prompting customers to launch a GoFundMe to help, but the effort ultimately fizzled out.
Now, Lilibeth and Rizal are simply looking for jobs to tide them over for a few years, until they can retire and move near their children and grandchildren in the Philippines.
“I told [a customer] maybe one door is closed, another is open,” Lilibeth said. “Everything…happens for a reason.”
As Lilibeth walked to the kitchen, franchise owner S.K. Satija took orders from behind the counter.
“I’m very disappointed you guys are closing,” the first man in line told Satija. “Me too,” added another customer behind him.
Satija, who thinks that he and the Giant Food grocery store two doors down are the last original tenants in the plaza, told FFXnow that community support like this has been constant since he took over the business in 1993.
“[I] have customers who used to come with their parents, and now they’re grown up; they got married, they have their kids,” said Satija, a Springfield resident.
After the Centreville location closes, just two Tippy’s locations will remain in Virginia — one at 5912 North Kings Highway in Huntington and another in Warrenton. A franchise in Merrifield closed last year.
“Thank you to the community for supporting us all these years,” Satija added. “You know, I’ve seen so many restaurants and carry-out places shut down in this area, but we survived because of the support from the community.”
